


Cupcakes

by getit



Series: Of Bakeries and Auto-Shops (How original) [2]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Beefy Bucky, Bucky Barnes Recovering, F/F, Light BDSM, M/M, after care is important, dash of angst, maybe some praise kink, steve is a goner and hasn't even met him yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 00:00:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11137233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/getit/pseuds/getit
Summary: A story of a mechanic and a baker, and their meddling friends trying to set them up.Or rather, a prequel to "Strawberry Scone."





	Cupcakes

His fingers drummed against his thigh, tapping an inconsistent rhythm. He resisted the urge to move his metal arm. Blue eyes flickered to the women on his left, and quickly moved around the circle, taking in the faces of the men and women who all shared the traumatic experiences of war. Finally, his gaze came to rest on the wall.

Julie was speaking, however, her voice was muffled to Bucky; whose blood was pounding in his ears. After her, he was the last of the group who had the choice to talk about his own past experiences of the war. 

Speak, coward. 

It wasn’t expected of him, everyone in the group knew it took different lengths of time for each person to open up about their experiences; he knew that. Still, it didn’t stop the self-deprecating thoughts from sinking their sharp talons into his mind, dragging himself down into a pit filled with his insecurities and fears. The muscle of his jaw ticked, his teeth grinding down as his fingers ceased their tapping. Instead, he vaguely felt the pinpricks of his nails piercing the skin of his thigh. He couldn't stop those thoughts from creeping up on him, couldn’t stop his own thoughts from turning on him, and God did that make him feel powerless. It made him feel weak. Pitiful. Useless. Just like the day he lost his- 

“James, how do you feel about sharing tonight?” 

The inner turmoil boiling in his head cleared somewhat at the group leader’s voice, his gaze snapped from the wall to connect with her’s as she looked at him with a soft, encouraging smile gracing her face. He winced as he slowly pulled his nails out from where they were dug into his thigh.

“I-I think I might pass tonight.” 

Even muttering that sentence felt like a defeat.

Angela nodded, lips still pulled back in that encouraging smile. Bucky couldn’t even stand to look at her face anymore.

Angela was an amputee herself, meeting her for the first time had left him feeling a sense of awe. She carried herself with a great deal of pride, dignity, and strength. She was everything that he wasn’t. She had assured him that he would also learn to accept himself, but Bucky had doubts. Receiving his new arm from Tony was a great gift, a gift that he knew many people wouldn’t even have the opportunity to receive. Still, his outlook on the journey of self-acceptance seemed like a long and bleak one, one that he felt like he’ll never reach the end of. 

After a pregnant pause, Angela asked if anyone had anything else to say. Upon everyone’s response of no, she called for the end of the session. Instantly, Bucky sprung up from his seat, taking long strides to exit. He couldn’t stop the clenching of both his hands and the bunching up of his shoulders. 

Even around those that shared similar experiences to his own, he still found it hard to be in groups of people for an extended amount of time. More often than not he would feel the rising anxiety while in a group. His skin would feel flush, heart racing, and mind going a mile a minute. 

The crisp, cool night air enveloped him once he exited the building. The breeze gently fluttering his hair to whisk across his face. He closed his eyes as he felt the sting of his nails piercing the skin of his palm on one hand and hearing the metal plates of his other grind together. Bucky paused on the steps, slowly relaxing his hands as he sucked in a slow breath. He could still hear the others chatting from inside and Bucky opened his eyes, staring out at the pavement before him. 

Talons gripped his thoughts once again, spilling poison into his ears. His shoulders bunched up, muscles tensing and locking as the unwanted poison slipped to the forefront of his mind once again. Once again, he was powerless to stop them.

 

_How pitiful._

 _You’re weak._

_What’s wrong with you?_

_Angela is going to give up on you, why wouldn’t she?_

_You’re a lost cause, a broken shell of a man._

_Some soldier you are._

_No one is going to want a broken soldier like you._

 

He roughly scrubbed at his jaw, the sharp bristles that dusted his cheeks scraping against his palm. Hastily, he descended the steps, starting to walk at a brisk pace to his apartment as he tried to will away his degrading thoughts. 

~Next day~

Bucky grunted, head tilting back so his dark brown hair spilt across his broad shoulders as he tugged helplessly. Readjusting his legs, he rocked forward and planted his knees to try and get some more leverage. He brought his head forward, chin resting on his chest and hair falling like a curtain around his face. Tch, he should have tied it up for this. Bucky’s heavy brow furrowed as he licked his dry lips. Just a little bit more and-

“Got yourself in a bit of a predicament, huh Buck?”

The familiar raspy voice made him pause, shoulders slumping as he groaned and looked up to see Natasha. She was smirking, her red painted nails were drumming on the hood of the car he was working on. 

“Is it that obvious?” 

He couldn’t stop the slight bite in his tone. Nat wasn’t phased, instead leaning closer to peer at the way Bucky’s metal plates got caught in the alternator of the car he was working on. She whistled, lips pulling back even higher as she rested her elbow upon the hood and placed her chin in her hand.

“I should take a picture for Wanda. She’s been wanting one of you to show potential dates what you look like. You always look like that grumpy cat she always talks about, though. It scares away women AND men you know? You should try smiling once in awhile.”

Bucky poked his tongue out of the corner of his lips, eyes rolling as he blocked out the rest of Nat’s words. Wanda, Tony, and Nat were always trying to find him a date, saying how lonely he was and that he needed to get out more. He tried telling them he was fine with being by himself. He was fine with the countless of lonely hours he spent outside of group therapy and running the shop.

Everyone, himself included, knew that was a lie. Before the war, he was social and had no problem with getting a date with any man or woman that caught his eye. No matter how many times he told himself that he was independent on his own, he knew he craved the intimacy of a relationship

Before the war, he was all lean muscles and toothy smiles. He was boyishly handsome and could easily snag any person of either sex. He had charm, wit, and looks. Now, he knew he painted quite an intimidating picture for the average person. 

Going to the gym helped to clear his mind out for a bit and took away some of the stress on his muscles. He knew he bulked up, knew that even some of that “bulk” was from him eating those pastries that Wanda and Nat always gave him from the bakery they habitually frequented. It didn’t help that more often than not he didn’t care to shave his growing beard or cut his growing hair. All of these qualities combined with his apparent “grumpy cat expression” and the unmistakable metal arm, he knew he was the type of person that made other people cross the street when they saw him. His unapproachable aura was the reason why he had Nat deal with most of the customers that came into his shop. 

Bucky shook his head, trying to clear his head from his spiralling train of thought as he slowly bent his wrist. He grunted as the metal plates in his wrist shifted, unhooking themselves from where they were caught. Slowly he pulled his arm away from the engine, careful not touch anything and rose from his squatted position to face Nat. 

“Your help is always appreciated Nat, really.” He moved past her, going to his workbench to grab his well-worn towel to wipe off the grease that coated his metal hand. 

“You think I would really try helping you out after all the times you’ve snapped at me,’Get out of the way Nat, I can do this myself.’ You’re lucky I don’t put your hand in a bucket of water when you take all those naps and see how fast it’ll take to rust.” 

Bucky scoffed, shifting his eyes away from Nat and leaning against his desk. She took in a small breath, and he couldn’t bear the thought of looking at her and seeing the pity that would no doubt be clouding her eyes.

“Are you having night terrors again? Is that why I’ve been catching you napping in between clients?” Her voice was soft, and Bucky made sure to look at everything but her. 

“Might be, just been tired lately is all. It’s probably nothing.” 

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, finally looking at Nat as she walked the short distance between them to lay a hand on his shoulder. 

“Buck, you know I really don’t mind helping out. I’m not going to push you to talk, but I’m here. I’ll always be here. So will Tony and Wanda. Your emotions and fears are never an inconvenience to us. If you need space, we’ll give it. But please don’t push us too far away. We don’t want to see you falling into that dark place again. We love you,” 

She paused, lips pressing into a thin line as she slowly slid her hand from his shoulder to the metal plates of his bicep. She felt him shift, tense, the smooth metal plates beneath her palm pulling apart the slightest bit. 

“..all of you.”

Bucky nodded, swallowing thickly as he felt his heart clench at her words. She was his first and best friend, ever since she pinned him down in their first martial arts class when they were six. They had been inseparable ever since. Over time the two of them slowly added new additions, Tony and Wanda. It was the three of them that helped him fulfil his dream of being in the army. And it was the three of them he felt he let down the most. 

“Well, well, well, why wasn’t I invited to the love fest? Nat, you said we would share.” 

The pair of mechanics looked over to the entrance of the shop as Wanda walked in, her beaming smile bright as she looked on at the two of them. Bucky felt his own lips quirk up at her presence. Nat had pulled away, walking towards her fiance to hug her and press a sweet and soft kiss to her lips.

“Now you know if he ever did say yes I wouldn’t start without you.” Nat grinned as Wanda laughed. She slowly pulled away from Nat’s embrace to smile teasingly over at Bucky.

“Nat had sent me a picture of the little predicament that you were in earlier.”

Bucky’s small grin slipped down fast, face contorting into a scowl as he looked over to a smirking Natasha. Wanda was giggling, gaze flitting between the two of them.

“You really took a picture? Wanda, come on. Stop laughing, this isn’t funny.” 

“Oh, I beg to differ. Look at how pouty and cute you look!” Natasha’s full lips stretched back to form a smirk, a quiet laugh spilling past her lips as she continued to look at the picture of Bucky.

“Tsk.” Bucky snatched the phone out from Nat’s grasp, turning the phone over in his hand to look at the picture. He let out a quiet groan as his eyes darted over the picture.

There he was, seated on his knees with his arms outstretched to their full length as he reached into the engine. His eyebrows were furrowed, eyes squinted, lips turned downward in a soft frown and God, his tongue was poking out of the corner of his mouth. He was positive Nat, Tony, and Wanda would be the death of him.

Of course she would take this picture, she always knew how to embarrass me.

“Come on Bucky, it’s not too bad, is it? We both think it’s cute. You don’t even have your usually scowl on your face!” Wanda had let out a giggle, gaze shifting from the phone in Bucky’s hand to his face, which was slowly fading from a scowl into resigned acceptance. 

“It is very cute, Buck. Now we won’t have any problem finding a suitable date for you!”

Bucky’s face contorted, nose scrunching up as his hands slowly gripped the edge of his desk. 

“I should have known that you would have ulterior motives.” 

“Oh come on, Buck. You can’t condemn us for trying, you’ve just been so lonely.”

Buck shook his head, shifting his weight to lean back against the desk as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I have you guys and Tony. I am not some weeping and fragile person who is desperate for companionship.”

Wanda glanced away from him, looking to the floor as she cleared her throat. Nat merely snorted, rolling her eyes. They all knew that was a lie. 

For his whole life, Bucky was independent. Always being that person that people would come to if they needed someone to lean on. At times, it was hard. Hard being the one that people could come to but never the one to speak up about his own feelings, his own problems and issues. He didn’t want to dump that on someone, he didn’t want to be anyone’s burden. 

“Okay, Mr. Independent.” Nat snarked, throwing a dirty towel that was close to her at Bucky. He caught it, rolling his eyes at her antics. She tried her best in getting him to open up to her, to talk to her about what was on his mind. He couldn’t do it. She already had to put up with him for the past two decades, he didn’t want to cause her any more trouble. 

Bucky took the rising tension between them as his sign to leave. He pushed off from the desk, making his way over to the car he was working on earlier before he had gotten those stupid metal plates stuck in the alternator. This time, he tied his hair up and plugged his ears with earplugs.

Wanda slowly made her way over to Nat, the latter leant in close to her girlfriend and kissed her cheek. 

“Already sent the picture to him?”

“Yes, yes I did.”

The two shared a small smile, clasping their hands together and kissing sweetly.

Phase one: Complete. 

“Ready to go, Nat?” 

Natasha nodded, slipping on her brown leather jacket and glancing over and Bucky. He was still working on the car that entrapped him earlier, and she internally snickered as she remembered the predicament he was in. He must have felt her gaze, because he turned his head and looked at her, waving his hand at the two of them. 

The couple made it a ritual to go to the new, comely, and comfy bakery down the street every day on their lunch breaks. Thankfully, Wanda worked nearby and could easily come to the auto shop to pick up Nat and head down to the bakery. Steve’s Sweets had become a neighbourhood favourite, people flocking to the warm and welcoming bakery. Its amazing pastries weren’t the only focal point. The owner/ head baker and another baker were easy on the eyes. Wanda and Nat had quickly become friends with the pair, both loved to tease Sam and watch him huff and squawk. Steve had always responded with his own banter, easily keeping up with the two. 

The two continually tried getting Bucky to come, but he always grumbled or made up an excuse not to go. He stayed in the shop, saying that he didn’t need to go because they would always bring back a treat for him anyway. Which, whenever he would eat it, Bucky would smile softly and make a comment about how the pastries seem to only get better and better.

“Has he said anything?” Nat peered over at Wanda, her curiosity getting the better of her. Wanda grinned, squeezing Nat’s hand. 

“I’m not sure if I should tell you, he spoke to me in confidence I wouldn’t tell others,” Wanda giggled as Nat raised her brows.

“Wanda, I provided the picture. It’s not like I had no part of this scheme.” Nat bumped her shoulder with Wanda’s, seeing her bright grin was a consolation that the response was positive. Wanda spoke just as they reached the entrance to the bakery. 

“Let’s just say he was.. Impressed and awed by our dear James.” 

The bell atop the door chimed, and a few customers that sat at the round tables littering the space peered at them before going back to their business. The chairs and tables were wood, but the chairs had plush cream cushions that made them comfy to sit in. The tables had alternating table cloths, depending on where you sat it would either be: cream, black, or brown.The lighting was soft, not too harsh or overly bright. The walls were decorated with various artworks donated by local artists in the community. Across from the seating area was a long display case which showcased the specials of the day. Connected to that was a bar table, complete with stools. 

At the chime, Steve popped his head out from doorway into the kitchen.

“Nat! Wanda! You guys are a little late today, I have your pastries sitting in the oven to keep them warm for you.” 

The pair smiled at him as they made their way over to their usual seats at the bar table, sitting down and resting their elbows atop the counter as they eagerly waited for Steve to come back out. Before him, Sam made his way out from the back to walk over to the couple. 

“You two, again? I’m not gonna complain because regulars are good for business but, don’t you get sick of coming here every day?” He leant his elbow on the counter, resting his chin in his palm as he regarded the two with raised eyebrows. 

“Sam, you work here. You should know out of everyone how lovely Steve’s creations are.” Wanda laughed softly, resting her hand atop of Nat’s as Sam nodded his head.

“But still, everyday guys? If you aren’t careful you’ll gain some probably unwanted weight. Steve’s creations do have the effect of tearing down people’s self-control.”

“Oh Sam, don’t you worry about us.” Nat wrapped her arm around Wanda’s shoulders, grinning wolfishly at Sam.”We tend to do rather, vigorous activities at home. Activities I’m sure you have no experience doing.”

Sam sputtered, trying to come up with a rebuttal before Steve had slipped next to him.

“Now what did I say about teasing Sam? Only do it when I’m here to witness his shame.” Steve smiled wide, looking on at the trio as Wanda and Nat laughed while Sam grumbled about doing work in the kitchen and leaving the three. 

“Sorry, Steve. We’ll make sure to wait for you next time.” Nat absent-mindedly played with Wanda’s hair, smoothing her a lock of it between her fingers. Her partner was leaning forward, eagerly looking at the white boxes wrapped in black bows that Steve brought.

“What did you make for us today, Steve? Please please let it be something strawberry.” 

Steve let out a breathy laugh, passing one of the boxes over to Wanda.

“For you, my own spin on a Strawberry Napoleon. Along with the flaky pastries, I put vanilla mousse, sliced strawberries, and a bit of cream cheese between each layer. It’s topped with our homemade icing that I know you have a slight obsession with.” Steve smiled wide, watching as Wanda eagerly but carefully pulled off the bow and opened the box. She clasped her hands together, beaming down at the contents of the box before looking up at Steve.

“You know me so well.” She sniffled for dramatic effect before starting to unabashedly eat the morsels given to her.

“I know you have an affinity for caramel Nat, so I made you buttery puff pastry filled with homemade salted caramel and whipped cream. Sweet, salty, and simply. “

Steve crossed his arms, beaming as the two of them ate their pastries with vigour. He supposed that he shouldn’t have favourites, but they were by far his favourite customers. He waited patiently as they finished their pastries, glancing about the room to make sure that everyone had been attended to. 

“So, what did you make for Buck?”

Steve felt his ears grow warm at Nat’s question. Wanda was peering up at him, still cleaning her fingers of the icing. He let out soft, nervous chuckle, bringing up a hand to rub at the back of his neck. He’s been making the other man cupcakes ever since Wanda and Nat came back to his bakery a second time and gushed about how good his creations were. They wanted him to make stuff for their friend even, a man called Bucky. At first, he made the other male different things each time, but Wanda had let it slip that Bucky praised his cupcakes. Since then, that’s all he’s been making the other. 

“Ah, I guess I should keep that between him and me.” 

Nat’s eyebrows raised. Wanda’s eyes widened. 

“Him and you, huh? What exactly did you do to it? Try out a new white icing?” Nat smirked, waggling her eyebrows at Steve. Wanda slapped her arm lightly, no serious intent behind it. Steve’s cheeks tinged a light pink as well now, matching the heat at the tips of his ears.

“No, no! It’s nothing like that! I would never do that to my pastries.”

“It’s alright, Steve. Now,” Wanda leant in, tapping her fingers against the counter,” Nat wants to know more about your thoughts on that lovely picture of our dear friend Bucky.”

Steve cleared his throat, looking between Nat’s growing smirk and Wanda’s grin. 

“It was ah, it was just, wow. You two tell me all these things about him, it’s nice to finally put a face to the name. And I must say, it’s a very nice face.” Steve let out a nervous laugh, dragging a hand over his face. “He really likes my cupcakes?”

“Yes, he does. Although I’m sure once he meets you he’ll want to eat your cake.” 

The three chuckled, Steve rocking a bit on his heels. He was hoping to meet Bucky soon. He has heard countless of stories of him from Wanda and Nat, each one enthralling him even more with the man. Wanda briefly mentioned that he was in the military but didn’t attempt to say anything more about it, and Steve knew not to press on certain topics. He supposed that it was a bit weird, wanting to meet and talk and interact with this man even if he has never actually seen him or talked to him personally. Wanda and Nat both have painted a pretty dynamic picture of him, however, one that Steve wants to get to know better. He wasn’t unaware of the fact that Wanda and Nat were talking about him to this degree because they wanted to set the two of them up. He wasn’t naive. Still, he didn’t mind the notion and prospect of getting to know Bucky personally. 

That didn’t stop the nerves. 

He had the occasional thought of going down to the auto shop that both Nat and Bucky worked at, but the idea was already squashed when his nerves got the best of him. He didn’t know what Wanda and Nat have said about him, or if they even have said anything. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of Bucky. 

It wasn’t long before Nat and Wanda had to leave, the two paying(and tipping way too much in Steve’s opinion) and saying their goodbyes.

Steve sighed, watching the two hold hands as they left his bakery. He was jealous of their relationship. Seeing them interact with one another was a beautiful thing. With every look, touch, and word that was done in each other’s presence was undoubtedly filled with great affection. It was beautiful, their love for each other was that of great significance and one that Steve would hope to have for himself one day. 

In the back of his mind, he thought of Bucky. 

He shook his head, internally laughing at himself. 

“My God, Steve, you’re acting like you have a school girl crush.” He ran a hand through his hair once more before heading back into his kitchen.


End file.
